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“I believed in Gus when we hired him and I still believe in Gus,” Jacobs said. “Football season is what? Eight and half months away? We are excited about what’s going to happen.”

It came on the heels of Jacobs reaffirming his commitment to producing championship-level teams for each of the athletic department’s 21 programs.

“Our men’s golf team is number one in the nation, equestrian team is number one in the nation and we are certainly excited about tennis and women’s golf,” Jacobs said. “Our swimming and diving team will be another top 10 team in the nation. We are excited about baseball and all anxiously awaiting softball.”

With a 6-6 regular season, and 6-10 record in the SEC going back to 2014, the football team is starting to lag behind Auburn’s other programs.

While Jacobs acknowledged a .500 record isn’t “good enough” for Auburn’s football program in a radio interview before the Birmingham Bowl, he stopped short of putting Malzahn on the hot seat for 2016.

“I know how we all feel about it as a man as a coach and as a very bright football coach, but how those players feel about him -- that's what I've seen,” Jacobs said. “I've seen him continue to grow and keep learning, just like when he was back as a high school coach.”

Jacobs didn't spend a whole lot of time talking about football Tuesday, but did take time to recognize Auburn quarterback Jeremy Johnson.

Johnson was one of a handful of student-athletes in attendance at the press conference. Jacobs offered the embattled junior high praise for how he handled a challenging 2016 season.

"You showed us what an Auburn man's all about," Jacobs said. "Every Saturday, regardless of what your situation was, you were the first one out of that tunnel. As an Auburn man that means more to me and these people in this room than anything you do.”

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